its currents. There had been ample snows in the winter, without anygreat gales or frosts. The thaw still filled the valleys everywherewith the soft rippling of water, even the meadows by the river andthe brook whispered constantly and shimmered with lingering silveramong the grass. The ford a short way upstream was alreadyimpassable, the island that helped foot traffic across at normaltimes was under water. But the ferryman poled his passengers acrosssturdily, so familiar and at ease with his troubled waters thatstorm, flood and calm were all one to him.

On the further side of the Severn the path threaded wetwater-meadows, the river lipping the bleached winter grass a yardinland already. If heavy Spring rains came on the hills of Wales,to follow the thaw-water, there would be flooding under the wallsof Shrewsbury, and the Meole Brook and the mill pond would back upstrongly and threaten even the nave of the abbey church. It hadhappened twice since Cadfael entered the Order. And westward thesky hung ponderous and grey, leaning upon the distantmountains.

They skirted the encroaching waters, below the dark ploughlandof the Potter’s Field, climbed thankfully inland up thegentle slope beyond, into the well kept woodlands of the manor ofLongner, and came to the clearing where the house backed snuglyinto the hillside, sheltered from the prevailing winds, andsurrounded by its high stockade and the encrustation of demesnebuildings within.

As they entered at the gate Sulien Blount came out from thestables to cross to the house. He wore leather jerkin and theworking cotte and hose becoming a younger brother doing his shareon his elder’s estate until he could find occasion to carveout his own holding, as surely he would. At the sight of the trioentering he halted, stiffly at gaze, instantly recognizing hisformer spiritual superior, and startled to see him here so far fromhome. But at once he came to meet them, with reverent and perhapsslightly apprehensive courtesy. The stresses of the past year hadremoved him so far from the cloister and the tonsure that thereappearance so close to home of what was past and done seemed fora moment to offer a threat to his new and hard-earned composure,and the future he had chosen. Only for a moment. Sulien was in nodoubt now of where he was going.